


No Longer Good Girl Winnie Foster

by monogramsalarm



Category: Tuck Everlasting - Miller/Tysen/Shear & Federle
Genre: AU- Winnie Drinks the Water, Aged-Up Character(s), Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-07
Updated: 2016-09-07
Packaged: 2018-08-13 09:32:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,823
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7971883
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/monogramsalarm/pseuds/monogramsalarm
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When sixteen year old Winnie Foster drinks from the spring in her wood, she never expected to gain a new family.</p>
            </blockquote>





	No Longer Good Girl Winnie Foster

**Author's Note:**

> This came from an anonymous request on Tumblr, which was passed along to me! I originally separated it into parts, but this will all be in one!

Winnie wondered why she didn't just keep to herself. A normal sixteen year old girl would have kept her wits about her, but she was just too excited about finally leaving her house. A rational person wouldn't have drank from a random spring in the middle of a wood, but here she was.

“Who are you- Did you just… Drink from that?” A voice called out shakily from behind her. Winnie spun around and saw a boy around her age gaping at her with a worried expression. She scrambled to her feet, brushing off dirt from her light green dress.

“I-I was just thirsty.” Winnie backed away from him. “What are you doing in my wood?”

“Your wood?” the boy sighed, running a hand through his sandy blonde hair. “You must be one of the Fosters, huh? Well, that’s just great,” he muttered to himself.

“Winnie Foster, but why does it matter? Who’s asking?” She crossed her arms defiantly, not liking his slightly annoyed tone. He shrugged off his jacket, letting the slight August breeze cool him down as he thought of what to say next.

“Jesse Tuck. I live a few miles outside of town. I need to tell you about that water though, it's kind of important,” Jesse rubbed his neck nervously. “Y’see Winnie, that water is… Different. When people drink it, they-”

“Jesse, what are you telling her?!” A stern voice demanded. Winnie saw a taller man come over, his eyebrows furrowed in anger. She ran over to Jesse, who was only an inch or so shorter than her, but felt protected from the angry man nonetheless.

“Miles, she drank from it, I have to tell her!” Jesse argued, stepping forward.

“You let someone drink from the spring?! Dammit, Jesse!” Miles glared at him. They bickered back and forth as Winnie looked at them, completely and utterly confused. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before stepping between them.

“IF SOMEONE DOESN’T TELL ME WHAT’S GOING ON, I’M GOING TO SCREAM!” Winnie yelled, feeling stressed out by them. They instantly shut up and Winnie felt proud of herself for getting them to stop arguing before noticing that they weren't looking at her. She spun around and saw a woman behind her, looking at the two boys. The woman bit her lip and crossed her arms, having heard their yelling.

“Well, it's finally happened, hasn't it?” she sighed. “Miles, Jesse, you two go home. Why don't _I_ talk to Winnie Foster since all you can do is argue?” The two hung their heads in shame.

“Okay, ma.” Miles shoved Jesse again before picking up the satchel he abandoned on the ground. Jesse grabbed his jacket and gave an encouraging smile to Winnie before following Miles until they were out of sight. Winnie looked to the woman and started backing away.

“You're not going to let me leave, are you?” Winnie asked worriedly.

“Oh, honey, it's not like that,” she said, her expression softening. “First of all, I'm Mae Tuck. Those boys earlier were my unruly sons, Miles and Jesse. You shouldn't be afraid of them.” Mae laughed lightly. “They’re harmless, as much as Miles might think he’s intimidating. At any rate, I need to tell you about that spring,” she gestured to the base of the tree. Mae knelt on the ground and gestured for Winnie to do the same. Winnie nervously took a seat, wringing her hands together nervously. Mae didn't seem dangerous, just a cautious mother who wanted to protect her family for whatever reason.

“Jesse started to tell me, but Miles interrupted him. All I know is that I probably shouldn't have drank from it like I did because Jesse said that something happens to those who drink the water, but I didn't get to hear what it is.” Winnie looked at Mae, examining her expression for answers.

“Well, that's true, but it's a lot more complicated than that,” Mae said softly. “You may not believe what I tell you, but all of it is true.” She launched into a story of how their family came to live in Treegap. It seemed like a fairytale. Winnie couldn’t quite believe it. This all seemed so ridiculous. Their family could never die; they’d stay the same age forever. And all because they drank from a small spring at the center of Treegap wood.

“So, what does this mean? Am I going to stay sixteen forever?” Winnie said in a soft voice, not quite sure what to think about it.

“I’m afraid so. Now, how are you feeling about it?” Mae took her hand and tried to muster up a comforting smile. Winnie shrugged, her mind racing. “Why don’t you come talk to the rest of the family? I’m sure my husband Angus will have plenty to discuss with you,” Winnie nodded, hesitantly accepting her invitation. She didn’t know whether or not she could face her mother again, not knowing what that could entail. “I’ll make sure Miles is on his best behavior. He probably didn’t give you a very good first impression of himself, did he?” Mae chattered lightly as they walked through the forest.

Soon, they reached a small cabin on the edge of a small lake. Jesse sat on the porch, tossing a pinecone into the air absentmindedly. He was obviously waiting for them to return. As Winnie began to talk to Mae again, Jesse noticed them and a grin lit up his face.

“I was wondering when you would be by! Did you tell Winnie everything, ma?” Jesse asked.

“Yes, she did,” Winnie spoke up. “But I don’t exactly understand it all. It doesn’t seem possible!” she sighed. Jesse nodded in understanding.

“I know, it’s a lot to take in all at once. But I’ll be here to explain anything that you need to discuss!” Jesse grinned widely. Winnie smiled appreciatively.

“Thank you, Jesse,” Winnie said, feeling more comfortable around the people who had shown her such kindness. As she entered the house with Jesse, she saw Mae talking with another person who she assumed was Angus, the only other Tuck she hadn’t met. He made eye contact with Winnie and a smile similar to Jesse’s lit up his weathered face.

“Well, you must be the Winnie Foster that Mae’s been telling me about. Pleasure to meet you!” his warm voice made Winnie feel instantly welcome in their home. He shook her hand and she smiled politely, looking around the house. “Supper is about ready, we’d be honored to have you stay with us,” Angus led them to a small table. The front door opened and Miles came in, putting out a cigarette.

“Are you going to be more welcoming to Winnie or are you still going to yell at her?” Mae asked in a stern voice.

“I wasn’t yelling at Winnie, I was yelling at Jesse,” Miles shrugged, taking a seat at the table. “I have nothing against Winnie, I just think it’s irresponsible that Jesse was at the spring and didn’t do anything to stop her.”

“I told you, I wasn’t there to stop her in time!” Jesse glared at his brother.

“Boys, enough fighting,” Mae said, obviously tired of their constant arguing. Winnie looked to Miles, confused.

“Why did he need to stop me? What’s so bad about living forever?” The whole Tuck family stopped in their tracks and stared at her, realizing that she hadn't thought it through. Angus cleared his throat, setting plates down on the table.

“That’s a conversation that can wait until after dinner,” Angus spoke up, taking a seat beside Mae. Winnie sighed as they began to eat in an uncomfortable silence. She was frustrated that they weren't giving her all the answers immediately. Winnie was as much a part of this as they were, so she deserved answers. Mae took note of Winnie’s frustrated expression and placed a hand on Angus’ arm.

“Angus, she needs to know,” she turned to Winnie with a comforting smile. “Look Winnie, I know that this seems like a blessing, and in some ways it is! But there’s a lot more to it than just being able to see the world. There’s a lot of loss involved. All of us here have lost something,” Mae explained sadly.

“Some of us more than others…” Miles muttered, taking a drink. Winnie saw the somber expressions of the family and began to think it over.

“So, I might never be able to see my family again… Because I’ll have to leave them anyways so they don’t find out about this,” she contemplated, her voice suddenly becoming quiet. Mae placed her hand on top of Winnie’s.

“It’s going to be rough, but we’ll be here to help you through this.” Winnie looked around at the Tuck family and knew she was home. Sure, things were going to be difficult to adjust to, but maybe things wouldn’t be so bad with a group of people who understood. She could only hope that nothing bad would happen to them.

\-----------

As Winnie lay in the Tuck’s living room, she contemplated the next few years of her life. Well, at that point it had become more of an existence. She knew it wouldn’t be easy. Her mind went a million different directions and she desperately needed a distraction. She heard the stairs creak and sat up, seeing Jesse walking into the room. He looked at her, a mischievous smile lighting up his face.

“Hey, you’re awake?” Jesse whispered. As Winnie nodded, he clapped his hands together. “Great! Wanna go on an adventure?” Standing up, Winnie wrapped her arms around herself.

“What kind of an adventure did you have in mind?” She raised an eyebrow curiously.

“Well, did you hear about the fair in Treegap tonight?” Jesse grabbed a hat off of the coat rack and Winnie smiled.

“Of course! Can we go?” Her spirits suddenly lifted, glad that Jesse was there to give her a distraction from her thoughts. The fair sounded so perfect, she could forget about what had happened, if only for an hour or two.

“I wouldn’t have asked you about it if I was planning on saying no, now would I?” Jesse teased. He noticed her arms wrapped around her small frame and mistook it for her being cold. “Do you want a jacket or something?” he asked, looking concerned. Winnie instinctively put her arms down at her sides.

“No, I’m fine! I just do that without thinking sometimes,” Winnie looked around the cabin. “Are you sure your parents will be alright with us going out?”

“Who says they have to know?” Jesse gave her an impish grin. “Hey, I’m going to get you a hat so nobody recognizes you. Your hair is a dead giveaway. Meet me on the porch, okay?” Winnie nodded in agreement as Jesse ran up the stairs again. She quietly opened the door, closing it slowly and carefully behind her, facing it to make sure it didn’t suddenly slam shut.

“Where are you going?” Winnie nearly leapt out of her skin, hearing a voice behind her. She spun around quickly and saw Miles watching her, a cigarette in his hand. The moon shining in through the trees was the only source of light as he exhaled smoke, looking her up and down. She took a deep breath, trying to relax after being spooked.

“I, uh… Was just going to get some fresh air?” Winnie lied. Miles snorted, taking another drag from his cigarette.

“You’re sneaking out with my brother, aren’t you?” he asked, not being fooled by her poor lying skills.

“Yes, I am,” she admitted. “Is that a problem?”

“Not really, it’s just that my brother is the most reckless person I know. If you’re going out, I suggest you keep an eye out for the both of you. I know that nothing can really hurt you, but Jesse tends to put himself in danger for the thrill of it,” Miles looked at her. Winnie nodded before finally making eye contact with him. His features seemed more worn out in the moonlight, dark circles making his already thin face more gaunt-looking. He noticed her staring and raised an eyebrow. “What?” Miles questioned, confused as to why she was watching him.

“You look so young, but also old at the same time,” Winnie pointed out. “Why is that?”

“Well, that’s what happens when you’re a hundred and twelve year old stuck in a twenty-two year old’s body,” Miles put out his cigarette in a tin bucket on the porch. “You’ll understand eventually,” he said, crossing his arms. His expression softened for a moment as he thought more about her situation. “Hey, I’m sorry this happened to you,” Miles said, walking towards her. “Really, I wouldn’t wish this existence on anyone. But since it’s already happened, I guess that means you’re part of the family now,” he nudged her shoulder with his elbow, mustering a small smile. Winnie grinned at him.

“Thanks, Miles,” she said as Jesse ran out of the door, clutching a hat in his hand. He noticed Miles and stopped in his tracks.

“You’re not gonna tell Ma about this, right?” he asked, worried that his older brother would ruin everything by telling their mother.

“No, but can you at least try not to do something stupid tonight? It may be a stretch, but at least do it for Winnie,” Miles said as he punched Jesse’s arm lightly. Jesse rubbed his arm and smiled a little, relieved that Miles wasn’t going to mess up their night of adventure.

“I’ll try. Now c’mon Winnie!” Jesse handed the hat to Winnie. She tucked her hair inside and grinned at Jesse as the pair ran through the forest together. As they dashed into town excitedly, the bright colors of the fair became more visible. Winnie looked around, mesmerized.

“What are we going to do first?” She turned to Jesse. He shrugged, examining the rest of the fair.

“What do you want to do?” Jesse asked before sneaking up behind the cotton candy vendor, taking one for the two of them to share. Winnie raised an eyebrow as he handed it to her. He noticed her expression and laughed. “We have one night at the fair, might as well do something reckless, right?”

“But Miles said-” Winnie was interrupted by a snort from Jesse.

“Miles forgot how to have fun ages ago! Do you wanna play it safe, or do you wanna have a memorable night of fun?” He nudged her playfully. Winnie grinned widely.

“You’re right! Let’s go have fun!” The two ran around exploring everything the fair had to offer. Jesse noticed a game called “Fool the Guesser” and smirked, an idea popping into his head.

“Hey Winnie, I bet I can win you a prize easily!” He gestured to the game. Winnie stopped as soon as she saw the person in charge of it. It was the man in the yellow suit who had stopped by her house earlier that day. Jesse started to walk over, but she grabbed his arm, pulling him back.

“Jesse, you don’t want to play this game!” She accidentally backed into the man while trying to move Jesse and gasped.

“Well, if it isn’t the sixteen year old spitfire from this morning!” he cheered. “I see your friend wants to try and fool me, well step right up!” A crowd had gathered around them by this time. Winnie watched as the inevitable happened. The man guessed that Jesse was seventeen, but she could tell he knew that he was much older than that. “Do you want a consolation prize?” He asked the pair, a malicious look in his eye.

Pulling them over to his cart, he took a knife out of his jacket pocket. Winnie froze as he held it up to Jesse. Leaping in his way to prevent Jesse getting stabbed, the knife went through her stomach, a mild pinching sensation going through her. The look of shock on the man’s face was enough to send them running.

“You’ve found it too! Come back here!” Winnie grabbed Jesse’s hand as they ran through the forest on their way back to the cabin, making sure to take a detour in case they were being followed. Stopping to catch their breaths, Winnie looked to Jesse.

“Jesse, I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have jumped in front of the knife like that. Now he really knows.” Winnie looked her her feet in shame. Jesse took her hand comfortingly and sighed.

“Winnie, it’s my fault. I knew playing that game was stupid, but I did it anyways,” they both sat down, leaning against a tree. He turned to her, a small grin on his face. “It was fun before that though, wasn’t it?”

“It was the most fun I’ve ever had!” Winnie cheered, smiling back at him. Jesse suddenly got an idea and grabbed both her hands.

“What if it could be like that all the time?” He asked. Seeing her confused expression, he nodded excitedly. “Yeah, since you’ve already drank from the spring, you could come with me on all my adventures! Imagine, seeing the pyramids, the biggest mountains you can think of! We could do it all together!” Winnie smiled at the idea.

“Can we really? That sounds wonderful!” She nodded, thinking that living forever didn’t seem so bad with Jesse by her side.

“Of course! We’d visit my parents every ten years, but the rest of the time would be ours to share!” Winnie hugged him tightly, glad to finally have a friend. Jesse stood up, grabbing her hands and helping her up. “Let’s go home and hope that crazy carnie is over trying to catch us,” Winnie and Jesse walked back to the house together. They tiptoed through the house as Winnie removed her hat. She handed it back to Jesse and settled down on the couch.

“I had fun, despite what happened at the end,” Winnie grinned up at Jesse.

“Me too. I’m glad you’re part of this now. It’s been so long since I’ve been able to spend time with someone outside of the family,” Jesse yawned, heading up the stairs. “Goodnight, Winnie Foster!” he called out as he disappeared out of her sight. Winnie smiled to herself, pulling the blanket over herself once more. She finally felt like she belonged somewhere.

Too bad someone else had heard about the water and he was trying to find it at that moment.

\----------

Winnie woke up, seeing sunlight streaming in through the window. She heard a rustling sound coming from the kitchen and sat up, stretching her arms. Miles looked at her and smiled.

“Good morning! You hungry after your little “adventure” with Jesse last night?” He chuckled, grabbing a pan from the cupboard.

“Starving,” she stood up as Jesse came down the stairs. Jesse smiled at his brother, grabbing an apple off the table.

“Mornin’,” Jesse yawned. Miles looked at them.

“Did you win any prizes at the fair last night?” He began to make pancakes for them. Winnie and Jesse exchanged a nervous glance.

“Well… We were going to play more games, but something happened,” Winnie admitted, looking at the ground. Miles immediately turned to Jesse and gave him a look.

“What did you do, Jesse?” He demanded.

“Nothing! Just some crazy carnie who knew something was up. I didn't do anything. But he knew about us, Miles,” Jesse looked at him. “He stabbed Winnie and noticed when nothing happened to her,” Miles closed his eyes, taking a deep breath.

“Jesse, do you realize what this means? We can't stay here any longer. He could find us,” he sighed as Winnie looked at them.

“What does this mean for me?” She asked in a small voice. “Do I leave with you all, or go home and try to pretend that everything’s normal for a year or two before I ultimately have to leave my family forever?” She sat down, wringing her hands together nervously. Miles stopped, then sat down beside her.

“Winnie, that’s up to you,” he looked at her, seeing how upset she seemed. “I'm really sorry that this is what it came to.” Winnie looked down, biting her lip while deep in thought. Miles stood up after a while, turning off the stove. “I should tell Ma and Pa why we’re leaving so early.” He tried to muster up a smile for Winnie’s sake before heading upstairs. Jesse took a seat next to Winnie, holding her hand. She squeezed his hand before turning to him.

“Jesse, what do I do? The last time I saw my mother, I told her I hated her. I can't leave it like that. But it’s going to be so hard when I have to leave them. I wish I never drank that stupid water,” she closed her eyes tightly and fought back tears. Jesse rubbed the back of her hand gently with his thumb.

“I think the same thing everyday, Winnie. This is going to be the hardest thing you’ll ever have to do, but I think you need to go home. I'm going to leave so that man can't track you down from me, but I'll be back. You just need to act like things are normal for a year, okay?” She nodded, wiping away tears. Jesse gave her a half-hug, wrapping an arm around her. “Hey. I'm proud of you for this, Winnie Foster. You're a brave girl,” Winnie sniffed, looking up at him through tear-filled eyes.

“Come back on my seventeenth birthday, alright? I won't really be turning seventeen, but at least I'll have one last happy memory with my mother and nana before I have to…” She trailed off, not wanting to finish her thought. Jesse nodded, standing up.

“C’mon. I'll walk you home. We can cut through the wood, it’ll be much quicker and nobody will notice us,” Winnie stood up, following him out. “Miles, I'm taking Winnie home! I'll be back soon to leave with you!” Jesse called up the stairs before leaving the house with Winnie in tow.

As they walked through the forest, Winnie had an uneasy feeling in her stomach. She brushed it off as just being hungry and not having had any breakfast, but she knew something was off. She felt like they were being followed. Her gut instinct was right. Just before they made it out of the wood, they heard a voice call out from behind them.

“Hold it right there, you two,” the man’s voice sent chills running down Winnie’s spine. Slowly, her and Jesse both turned to see the man in the yellow suit leaning up against a tall tree behind them. Winnie glared at him.

“What do you want?” she asked, standing her ground. She didn't think she’d be this brave in the face of someone she feared, but she knew that he couldn't really do anything to her, giving her confidence.

“I know that you two know where the spring is. Why don't you show me what you're hiding and all of this will be over?” He put his hands up in mock surrender and smiled in a way that made them both know instantly that they couldn’t trust him.

“You can't do anything to us, so why should we help you?” Jesse asked, crossing his arms.

“Oh, that's true. I can't do anything to you two. You and your little girlfriend are invincible from what I've seen,” his smug smirk turned into an evil grin at that second. “But I know her mother isn't. Listen up, Sixteen…” he said in a threatening voice. “Either you show me where the spring is, or your mother dies. I know where you live, it could be done at any time,” Winnie froze, suddenly filled with dread.

“Don't you dare hurt my mother!” Jesse held her back as she glared at him. His howling laughter filled the midday air as Jesse looked at Winnie.

“He’s bluffing, Winnie. He couldn't actually do it.” He tried to convince her, but her jaw was set as she made up her mind.

“I'll take you there, just please don't her her.” she pleaded. He nodded and she looked at Jesse with hurt in her eyes before leading him in the direction of the spring. Coming to the tree with a large “T” carved into it, she knelt beside it. “This is it. Now, leave my family alone.” Winnie said sternly. As he leaned down toward the water, Jesse tackled him to the side, pushing him to the ground before he could drink from the spring. The man’s head crashed down on top of a boulder, his body going limp almost immediately. Winnie covered her mouth to stifle a scream as Jesse scrambled to his feet. Jesse backed up, looking down at his hands.

“I-I can't believe I just did that… Oh my god.” Jesse heard voices in the wood calling out Winnie’s name. He quickly climbed up the nearby tree to avoid being seen. The constable and his detective in training Hugo rounded the corner, spotting her.

“Winnie, you're okay!” Hugo cried out, smiling. He then noticed the man on the ground and stopped in his tracks. “Uh, sir?” He pointed to the body and the constable sighed.

“Winifred, your mother and grandmother have been worried sick about you! What exactly happened here?” He took a step closer to her.

“I, uh… Was kidnapped. By this man,” Winnie lied. “Men from the fair shouldn't be trusted, as you must know. He tried to attack me and I pushed him away. He hit his head and hasn't moved since,” she pretended to look afraid. “Can Hugo take me home? I just want to go back.” The constable nodded.

“Hugo, take Miss Foster back while I take care of this. Keep an eye on her, alright?” Hugo nodded, smiling at Winnie. Winnie looked up at Jesse in the tree and subtly gestured for him to follow her. As she walked away with Hugo chattering lightly to keep her mind off of the traumatic event, she felt more sick to her stomach. She was going to cause her mother so much pain when she left.

“So, Winnie, I'm glad you're alright,” Hugo stated as they stopped outside the gate surrounding her house. “If you need anything at all, let me know, okay?”

“Okay Hugo. Thank you,” Winnie grinned at him. He walked away, heading back towards town as Jesse emerged from the wood. Winnie hugged him tightly, making sure they were out of sight of the house.

“Winnie, are you going to be alright here alone?” He pulled away from the hug to look at her. She nodded.

“I'll just remember that my best friend is waiting for me,” Winnie grinned. Jesse chuckled as she elbowed him playfully.

“See you in a while. Goodbye, Winnie Foster.” Jesse started to walk away.

“Goodbye, Jesse Tuck!” She called after him before turning to the house. Taking a deep breath, she walked through the gate. Winnie knew that a rational person wouldn't have drank from a random spring in the middle of a wood, but here she was. Her life stretched out far beyond her wildest imagination.

\----------------

Months later:

“So, was your seventeenth birthday all you imagined it would be?” Winnie’s mother asked as they washed up the dishes together. Her simple pink dress was a welcome change from the black of her mourning clothes. She’d started wearing more color that day as a gift to Winnie; a break from the monotone outfits she had worn since her husband’s passing. Winnie smiled as she put the last dish in the cupboard.

“It was even better. Thank you,” she hugged her mother before faking a yawn. “I think I'm going to turn in for the night. I love you,” she tried to hold off the tears that signaled the biggest decision of her life.

“I love you too, Winnie,” she embraced her daughter once more before Winnie dashed up the stairs. Once she reached her room, Winnie closed the door behind herself and burst into tears. She wished desperately that she could stay with her family, but knew it would only cause more pain. Grabbing her small suitcase, she packed her things and waited on her bed for the rest of the house to grow silent. She could barely bring herself to leave. Winnie managed to make her way out of her home, making sure to remember each detail. As she closed the gate behind her, her past seemed to fade away.

“Ready to start our adventure, partner in crime?” Winnie heard the familiar voice and looked to her left to see Jesse smiling at her.

“I'm ready whenever you are, Jesse,” Winnie grinned as the pair ran into the forest, leaving no trace that there ever was a real Winnie Foster. Just memories that drifted away in the early spring breeze.


End file.
